Picture display unit

Abstract

A box-like picture display unit is arranged to display two framed pictures in windows ( 12 and 13 ). The pictures are moved in turn from a stack ( 15 ) by movement of a carriage ( 14 ) up and down. When the carriage ( 14 ) is moved upwards, a finger ( 18 ) engages a recess ( 20 ) in a back of a rear picture in the stack and lifts and carries the picture to the window ( 12 ). When the carriage moves downwards, a fixed arm ( 21 ) pushes the picture down from the window ( 12 ) to opposite the window ( 13 ), and in front of the stack ( 15 ). The carriage is moved down by manually pressing on a top part ( 25 ) of the carriage. The carriage is moved upwards automatically under the action of a pair of coiled springs ( 26 ), the springs being charged; i.e., wound up, during and by downward movement of the carriage ( 14 ).

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A manually operable box-like picture display unit, said unit having a housing including a front wall for supporting a vertical stack of forward-facing mounted pictures inside the unit, a window in the front wall, a slidable carriage mounted in the unit to enable the pictures to be displayed in turn, the carriage being arranged to move in a first direction a rear picture of the stack, when the carriage moves in the same direction, beyond the stack and transport the picture forwards for viewing through the window, and the carriage being arranged, when the carriage moves in the opposite second direction, to push the picture in the same direction from behind the window into a front of the stack. 
     
     
       2. A manually operable box-like picture display unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the window is a first window and in which the front wall has a second window adjacent the said first window, the second window being positioned in the front wall in front of the stack. 
     
     
       3. A manually operable box-like picture display unit according to  claim 1 , including a carriage biassing means to bias the carriage towards a first position in said first direction and to move the carriage to the first position whenever manually pressure in said second direction is removed from the carriage. 
     
     
       4. A manually operable box-like picture display unit according to  claim 3 , including damping means arranged to reduce the speed at which the carriage moves in side first direction under the influence of the biassing means. 
     
     
       5. A manually operable box-like picture display unit according to  claim 1 , in which each picture has a rear-facing recess and the carriage has a pivotable finger arranged to ride into the recess and be urged into the recess to move the picture in said first direction when the carriage moves in the same direction. 
     
     
       6. A manually operable box-like picture display unit according to  claim 1 , including a rack and pinion mechanically connected between the carriage and the unit for moving the carriage in said first direction. 
     
     
       7. A manually operable box-like picture display unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a base for receiving the stack of pictures and the carriage is slidable upwards in said first direction and downwards in said second direction.